Auntie Joy, the lone graded stakes winner in the field, will be opposed by a full gate of 13 other 3-year-old fillies going nine furlongs over the turf course at Arlington International Racecourse in the Aug. 13 Pucker Up Stakes (gr. IIIT).
Auntie Joy went wire-to-wire to win the Regret Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs in June after having just missed Catch a Glimpse by three-quarters of a length in the Edgewood Stakes (gr. IIIT) under the Twin Spires. Those two efforts make her the most accomplished runner here, even though she faded to sixth in the July 9 Belmont Oaks Invitational (gr. IT) at 10 furlongs. She can be placed on or near the lead.
Noble Beauty ran second in the Regret, 1 1/4 lengths behind Auntie Joy, for trainer Chad Brown. She, too, was pitched into the Belmont Oaks, but never got involved and finished eighth. The off-the-pace runner charged home to finish second in the Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream Park in May.
Inconclusive was placed first in the Tawee Stakes last out after finishing behind Nawlins Kitty by a neck. She won the Northbound Pride Oaks two back and was second earlier this season in the Bourbonette Oaks (gr. III) on Polytrack.
Nobody's Fault is two-for-two in her brief career, both victories coming at Arlington. She has tracked and pounced in both efforts.
Try Your Luck was third in the Regret and third in a division of the Tawee. Nawlins Kitten was disqualified after finishing first in the Tawee’s other division, but she has crossed the wire first in both her starts and the late runner may show continued improvement.
Havana Dream has never been off the board in five starts and outfinished Try Your Luck for second in the Tawee. She also is one to watch here.
Felt in Pocket and Moms Choice are both last-out wire-to-wire allowance optional claiming winners at Arlington over the Polytrack, but they have not shown much in their graded stakes tries yet. Miss Gossip ran well to be second in her first U.S. start and wheels back in two weeks.
Arlington International Racecourse, Saturday, August 13, 2016, Race 10Entries: Pucker Up S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Inconclusive (KY) Robby Albarado 124 Richard R. Scherer 30/1 2 2Nobody's Fault (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Chris M. Block 20/1 3 3Try Your Luck (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Michael J. Maker 9/2 4 4Galilea (KY) Joe Bravo 118 Grant T. Forster 30/1 5 5Miss Gossip (IRE) Seamie Heffernan 118 Andrew McKeever 15/1 6 6Felt in Pocket (KY) Constantino Roman 118 Eoin G. Harty 12/1 7 7Nawlins Kitty (KY) Shaun Bridgmohan 118 William B. Bradley 12/1 8 8Moms Choice (KY) Jose Valdivia, Jr. 118 Larry Rivelli 8/1 9 9Auntie Joy (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Brendan P. Walsh 7/2 10 10Princess Erindelle (KY) Carlos H. Marquez, Jr. 118 Hugh H. Robertson 30/1 11 11Noble Beauty (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Chad C. Brown 3/1 12 12Fitpitcher (KY) Marcelino Pedroza 118 Jose Fernandez 30/1 13 13Bonita Cat (KY) Mitchell Murrill 120 Michael B. Campbell 30/1 14 14Havana Dream (KY) Jose Lezcano 118 Mark E. Casse 12/1
